Macron vows to lift state of emergency in rare speech at Versailles Palace

World Today

French President Emmanuel Macron walks through the Galerie des Bustes (Busts Gallery) to access the Versailles Palace’s hemicycle where both houses of parliament (National Assembly and Senate) are gathered in the palace of Versailles, outside Paris, Monday, July 3, 2017. (Etienne Laurent/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Monday to lift a state of emergency that has been in place since 2015, but also to harden permanent security measures to fight Islamic extremism and other threats.

Laying out his political, security and diplomatic priorities at an extraordinary joint session of parliament at the chateau of Versailles Macron said his government “will work to prevent any new attack, and we will work to fight (the assailants) without pity, without regrets, without weakness.”

At the same time, he insisted on the need to “guarantee full respect for individual liberties” amid concerns that new measures would allow police too many powers.

Macron vowed to maintain France’s military interventions against extremists abroad, especially in Africa’s Sahel region and in Iraq and Syria. He also insisted on the importance of maintaining “the path of negotiation, of dialogue” for long-term solutions.

Macron also announced Europe-wide public conferences later this year in an effort to reinvigorate the European Union after Britain’s vote to leave.

He said he understood why many Europeans see the EU as bureaucratic, distant and uncaring.

“I firmly believe in Europe, but I don’t find this skepticism unjustified,” he said.

He also said European countries should work more closely to help political refugees while fighting migrant-smuggling and strengthening borders against illegal migration.

Critics who fear Macron is trying to amass too much power organized protests over Monday’s event.

Lawmakers from the far-left party of Jean-Luc Melenchon and communists decided not to attend the speech in protest against what they call a “presidential monarchy”.

After his new centrist party dominated parliamentary elections and split the opposition, political rivals are comparing Macron to Napoleon, or the Roman king of the gods, Jupiter.

They are especially angry that he wants to strip worker protections through a decree-like procedure, allowing little parliamentary debate.

Macron also broke with tradition in convening the Versailles parliament session just one day before his prime minister is to face —and likely to win— his first confidence vote in parliament.